To take note of what we learn as we use native plants to transform a garden in the oldest part of London, Ontario.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Wouldn't It Be Easier to Buy a New One?

Working on creating a sustainable garden environment, and the many successes we've had with this project has emboldened me to hold our indoor environment to higher standard. Meaning that by insisting on sustainability and consideration for the larger web of life outside, we are able to do it inside more easily.

And, I think we have learned the secret to making this transition both inside and out: learn about process, where you fit in, and choose to cherish some processes over others. How is your food produced? How are your goods produced? How are garden spaces produced? How do the systems you are part of as a producer and consumer work? What is your role in them? So for example, as a student of a local eco-system, I've learned how to work with its processes to create our gardens. As consumers, we are lucky enough now to consume ethically and sustainably produced food exclusively, having researched the processes through which food is produced.

So I wanted to share a recent success on this front that I am really proud of: Recycled Couch. My brother rescued it from a friend's parents' garage in the mid 1980s (no one remembers when, exactly). It was then my couch when my brother's girlfriend moved in with her own couch (1990-ish). All through grad school this was my couch, and even though it was tattered and frayed and the cushions all replaced with blankets and pillows, it was still my couch last year when my mother said "you know, this couch has a hardwood frame".

My mother took a class in recovering furniture in the 1960s, and has recovered every single piece of reclaimed furniture we ever had as a family. But even better, my mother is brave enough to say 'yes' to crazy ideas-like 'I want to make my own cushions out of reclaimed textiles'. Because now I want this couch to last, to honour, in a sense, its inherent durability and sustained utility (it has a hardwood frame remember).

So here it is, a testament to my mother's abilities, her willingness to help and teach (we even used reclaimed and second hand tacks) and to her encouragement that 'sure, you can make your own cushions'. And to the fact that everyone else has raided their stashes of worn out blankets, tattered jeans and ancient fabric swatches to get me started making the cushions. And it has become a product and a testament to a workshop given by some of the Gee's Bend Quilters I took in August, where I learned a lot about blending form and function working with textiles, and more about both trusting my own design judgment and taking risks with fabrics.

Yes, a thousand times yes it would have been easier to buy a new couch as a friend asked. It is, however, more satisfying and livable, and way more FUN to have this couch as an on-going project- each cushion is a 25"x74" pad that can be tossed in the wash and dried on the line- so we'll need many, and each will be an opportunity to practice more work. More process.

oh, relief! i was having second thoughts,thinking maybe you were happy in the quietof no comments and then i came bursting inwanting to comment...so this is good.now i am going to go re-read all your postsand put a "real" comment.thanks for all this...g

here i am again. so i have read all your thoughts, from thebeginning and am amazed at "meeting" you atthis particular time.i have questions arising about what i have been doing here, in New Mexico, particularly in the last 6 years. it takes time to seethe Big Picture of your imprint on a placeand also, for me, the gift of circumstance.i will take a little time to arrange my thoughts in an orderly fashion...being as i didn't imagine finding your blog...so, it'sjust in fragments....but it is about theconcept/reality of sustainability.and sustainability from all points of view..mine, as the human being here, but more,sustainability for all the living beings thati have drawn here because of my actions aswell as those who were here before me.

so...thank you !!!!!! this is just Perfect...and thanks for the word: hibernaculum

Thanks so much Grace, for your attention, and for your promise to share ideas from your own practices of sustainability. Your blog has been a favorite of mine for awhile now, as I so enjoy seeing others' creative paths.

so, first, before i backtrack to thoughtsabout the land, i need to say some thingsabout this beauty Full couch. a friend ofmine up the mountain has just such a couch,with hard wood frame. the constructionis amazing when you look at newer things.care was taken at each step. your couchis elegant. period.and the work with Gee's Bend quilters?????i would LOVE to hear about that. i have thei think PBS movie of their beginnings of"coming out" as artists...that bus tripto the opening. i have watched it over andover, over the years. so, if you are everinclined, please tell.and then...your cushions, into the wash andon the line to dry: i had not thought of that with the denim futon cover...becauseit is a futon. but...if i make thin seatcushions, more like mats....in the same wayas the larger cover is done, these couldbe used in the same way as yours!!!! remembering that here, this is the 4 dogsfuton couch 99% of the time. but...theyseem to be noticing how nice the cover isand not scrunching it up so much.ok...enough. next, onto my dilemma about the meaningof sustainability in the desert southwestUSA. thank you for this place to entertain thesethoughts...

Geez, Grace, thanks so much for your comments; you have no idea what a surprise it is to have Followers! And for saying such amazing things, I am blown away.

I am, like you, a big big fan of futons. I have one that is over thirty years old, on a bed frame and 1920s bedspring we found. I still use it every night, and found out a couple of years ago they were once MEANT to last a long, long time. In Japan there are still companies that refurbish and mend them, a tradition that is currently being revived it seems (see http://www.asahi.com/english/lifestyle/TKY200503120131.html for an intersting story). So I am envious of your futon couch, which, like our couch, is going to last a long long time!

It strikes me that futons have this possibility of renewal and rejuvination built in- just like your futon cover. I like it so much because you have made sure it looks like it is MEANT to be used, mended, extended, carried on.

And, on a final note Grace, I can't imagine the challenges of life in the desert- and want to know more!

me too. through grace, that is. grace is leading us in all kinds of good directions. i like your couch cover. i've been planning to make one for my 25 year old couch but can't seem to find the time. i look forward to reading more of your posts.